The Veterinary Officers’ Association (VOA) has become “increasingly alarmed” with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s (DAFM’s) response to Brexit, the organisation has said.
The group has announced that its executive will “consider its response” to the department’s “unwarranted and hostile” management plans.
The VOA – which represents full-time veterinarians employed by department – has expressed serious doubts in the Government’s plans for recruitment ahead of the UK’s departure from the EU.
“At this point the VOA has become increasingly alarmed with the department’s response to the impending crisis,” the group said in a statement.
The 300 extra veterinary posts announced by an Taoiseach last October now seem illusory. Currently a number of veterinary management posts, one of which has remained unfilled for seven years, are due to be filled.
“Rather than filling these posts through a mutually-agreed mechanism that has operated seamlessly for 20 years, Department of Agriculture management has unilaterally decided to pick this moment to discard the agreement,” the VOA said.
“Its effect will be to severely restrict mobility opportunities for VOA members but, more importantly, it distracts from the more urgent task of getting staff numbers up to the required levels at this critical time.”
The organisation said it is a matter of deep concern that veterinary staffing “still lags significantly behind” pre-2011 levels.
The VOA said that it had agreed last year to enter a “process of conciliation and arbitration” with department management on the issue.
It stressed that it remains committed to “finding a workable solution”, but expressed its disappointment that the department has “now decided to escalate the issue”.
The VOA regrets that this unilateral action by DAFM management has resulted in the VOA being officially in dispute over the issue. The VOA executive will meet in the coming days to consider its response to this unwarranted and hostile management action.
About the VOA
The association outlined that its role is “to ensure rules are upheld and enforced in areas of food safety, animal health and animal welfare”.
It has noted that, with Brexit looming, the work of VOA members will be crucial in providing the assurances required by consumers and trading partners.